< Ingoma Yezingoma 8 >
1 Kungathi ngabe unjengomfowethu owamunya amabele kamama! Uba bengingakufica phandle, bengingakwanga, yebo, bebengayikungidelela.
I wish that you were my brother who (nursed at/drank milk from) my mother’s breasts [when you were a baby], [because, if you were my brother], if I saw you when you were outside [the house], I could kiss you, and no one would say that my doing that was wrong.
2 Bengingakukhokhela ngikungenise endlini kamama, ubengangifundisa; bengingakunathisa okwewayini elilesinongo, okomhluzi wepomegranati lami.
[No one would object if] I led you to my mother’s house, to where my mother, who taught me [many things], lives. I would like to take you to my mother’s house because I would [like to make love to you] [EUP], [and that would be as delightful as] [MET] juice [squeezed] from pomegranates.
3 Isandla sakhe sokhohlo singaphansi kwekhanda lami, lesokunene saso siyangigona.
You would put your left arm under my head and with your right arm hold me close.
4 Ngiyalifungisa, lina madodakazi eJerusalema, ukuze lingaphazamisi lingavusi uthando aze athande.
[I would say to] you women of Jerusalem, “Solemnly promise me that you will not disturb us while we are making love until we are ready to quit.”
5 Ngubani lo owenyuka evela enkangala eyeme kothandekayo wakhe? Ngakuvusa ngaphansi kwesihlahla sama-aphula, kulapho unyoko akuhelela khona, kulapho ahelelwa khona owakuzalayo.
Who is that [woman] who is coming up from the desert, (leaning on/clinging close to) the man who loves her? I woke you up [when you were] under the apple tree at the place where your mother conceived you, which is the same place where she gave birth to you.
6 Ngibeka njengophawu enhliziyweni yakho, njengophawu engalweni yakho; ngoba uthando lulamandla njengokufa, ubukhwele bulesihluku njengengcwaba; amalahle alo angamalahle omlilo, ilangabi elilamandla kakhulu. (Sheol )
Keep me [close to you], like [SIM] a seal on your heart, [or] like [SIM] a bracelet on your arm. Our love [for each other] is as powerful as death, it is as enduring as the grave. [It is as though] our love [for each other] bursts into flames and burns like a hot fire. (Sheol )
7 Amanzi amanengi kawalakulucitsha uthando, lezimpophoma kazilugalulisi. Uba umuntu ubenganika impahla yonke yendlu yakhe ngothando, bebengayidelela lokuyidelela.
Nothing can extinguish our love [for each other], not [even] a flood. If a man tried to cause a woman to love him by saying he would give her everything that is in his house, she would refuse.
8 Silodadewethu omncinyane, njalo kalamabele. Sizamenzelani udadewethu ngosuku mhla kukhulunywa ngaye?
We have a younger sister, and her breasts are still small. So this is [RHQ] what we should do for her on the day that we promise [some young man] that he can marry her:
9 Uba engumduli, sizakwakha phezu kwakhe inqaba yesiliva, njalo uba engumnyango, sizamvalela ngamapulanka omsedari.
If [her chest is flat like] [MET] a wall, we will [decorate it by] putting silver [jewels that are like] [MET] towers on it. Or, if she is [flat like] [MET] a door, we will decorate her with bits/pieces of cedar wood.
10 Ngingumduli, lamabele ami anjengemiphotshongo; khona emehlweni akhe ngaba njengokufumene umusa.
My [chest was previously flat like] [MET] a wall, [but now] my breasts are [big] like [SIM] towers. So the one who loves me is delighted with me.
11 USolomoni wayelesivini eBhali-Hamoni, wanikela isivini kubalindi; ngulowo lalowo wayezaletha ngezithelo zaso inhlamvu zesiliva eziyinkulungwane.
[King] Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-Hamon, and he rented it to people for them to take care of it. He required each one to pay him 1,000 pieces of silver [each year] for the grapes [that they harvested].
12 Isivini sami esingesami siphambi kwami; inhlamvu eziyinkulungwane ngezakho, Solomoni, lamakhulu amabili ngawabalindi bezithelo zaso.
[But my body is like] [MET] my own vineyard, and Solomon, I am giving it to you. [You do not need to pay me] 1,000 pieces of silver [to enjoy my body], but I will give 200 pieces of silver to those who take care of me [MET].
13 Wena ohlala ezivandeni, abangane balalela ilizwi lakho; ngizwise lona.
You are staying in the gardens and my friends are listening to your voice; [so] allow me to hear it, [too.]
14 Phangisa, sithandwa sami, ube njengomziki kumbe njengethole lendluzele phezu kwezintaba zamakha.
You who love me, come [to me] quickly; [run to me] [MET, EUP] as fast as [SIM] a gazelle or young deer runs across [MET] hills of spices.